Adopting Teddy
by NightWild7000
Summary: After Andromeda dies of Dragon Pox, Harry and Ginny take in Teddy to raise him as their own. This story is part of my 'Family of Harry Potter' series.


****_Disclaimer: Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions in this story are my own and in no way represent the owners of this site. This story subject to copyright law under transformative use. No compensation is made for this work._

_A/N A special thanks to MinistryMalcontent for his beta work.  
__It might seem that Teddy is a bit advanced for his age. This is due to the fact that Teddy grew up in a post-war environment._

**Adopting Teddy**

"I'm sorry to inform you that she did not make it," the man in white robes said to uncle Harry.

Teddy knew they were talking about granny. _She did not make what?_ Teddy wondered. Uncle Harry seemed to be upset by that.

"Thanks," uncle Harry said to the man in white robes.

The man in white robes nodded and walked away.

Harry looked over at Teddy and sat down next to him, pulling him close.

"Granny is going to be okay, right?" Teddy asked tentatively. It had been about a hour ago that she had collapsed. According to Harry she had been suffering a case of Dragon Pox.

Harry looked at Teddy with concern in his eyes. He seemed to be hesitating to say something.

"No, she... she's gone, Teddy," Harry said softly, tears sliding down his face.

"Gone where? I don't understand," Teddy said, getting worried.

"She's gone, like your parents."

Teddy knew that his parents were dead, but what did that mean? Teddy had always expected his parents to just walk in through the door, but they never did. Harry and granny had explained to Teddy that they would never come back, but that they would always be with him. _How did that work?_ Teddy wondered.

"But she is still with me like my parents, right? That is what you said," Teddy said, trying to understand.

"Yes, she will always be with you," Harry answered.

"Where is she then? Where are my parents?' Teddy asked, getting upset.

"In a better place," was all Harry said, before pulling Teddy close to him.

"I came as soon as... Oh," the voice of aunt Ginny said. Teddy looked up and saw Ginny walking towards Harry and him.

"She didn't make it, then?" Ginny asked. Harry shook his head sadly.

"I'm sorry I wasn't..." Ginny began.

"It is okay, you had training," Harry said, cutting Ginny off.

Ginny sat down beside Teddy and pulled both Harry and Teddy into a hug. Teddy clung to Harry, still trying to understand what had just happened.

~O~

"She looks like she is asleep," Teddy said as he looked down on granny.

"She won't wake up," Harry said who was holding Teddy up so he could look into the coffin.

Slowly Teddy reached out with his hand and touched granny's face.

"She's cold," Teddy said, quickly pulling back his hand.

"Yeah, let's sit down, okay?" Harry said, putting Teddy back on the ground.

"Okay," Teddy said, looking at Harry. Teddy saw that Harry was holding back tears. Teddy did not understand that, surely granny would wake up soon? Harry had said that granny had gone away, but she was lying there. Couldn't anyone else see that she was just asleep?

Teddy followed Harry towards two seats in the front row, Teddy sat down next to Ginny, who was already sitting there, and Harry sat down on the other side of Teddy.

When the last people had looked at the coffin it was closed up by an old man who was wearing black robes. Some people said something, they were saying that they would remember granny and now lay her to rest. But Teddy could not understand it. Wouldn't granny just stand up any time soon? The joke had gone on long enough now.

When the old man was done speaking, Harry, Ginny, a woman with blonde hair and a man with platinum blonde hair and pointed face walked to the coffin and picked it up, and then carried it to a hole in the ground, and lowered it into the ground.

It was only now that Teddy realised that granny wouldn't wake up. She had promised she would be there for him, but she wasn't. Harry had said that she was still with him, but she wasn't. She would never hold him again, never give him any presents again. She was just gone. Angry tears started rolling down Teddy's cheeks, he tried to stop them, he would not cry for those who lied to him. Granny had broken her promise to him. All Teddy wanted now was to just go home.

After the coffin was completely in the hole, Harry and Ginny came back to Teddy.

"Can we go home?" Teddy asked, still trying to keep back his tears. Harry and Ginny exchanged a look and nodded.

Teddy grabbed Harry and Ginny's hand and they left together.

~O~

When Teddy arrived at home he went straight to his room and lay down on his bed. Why had granny lied like that? Why had she left? Why wouldn't she just wake up? Why had Harry lied that granny was still with him? Had he also lied about his parents? They never where here, either. Teddy had no memory of them, except for photos granny, Harry and Ginny had shown him.

The door to his room opened and Teddy looked up to see Harry standing there.

"Hey, are you okay?" Harry asked.

"You lied to me. Granny is not with me, neither are my parents," Teddy said, narrowing his eyes at Harry.

Harry sighed, and sat down next to Teddy.

"They are, those who we love never truly leave us," Harry said softly.

"Where are they then?" Teddy asked, looking around, thinking that they might come jumping out of the closet.

"They are in here," Harry said, laying his hand on Teddy's chest.

"But they won't hold me, they won't give me presents, they won't be there for me," Teddy said, tears started to fall down his face. Teddy angrily swiped at them.

"That is true, but I will be there for you, and so will Ginny," Harry said, pulling Teddy into a hug.

"That is what granny said, but she broke that promise," Teddy said. More tears started appearing.

"Your granny didn't have a choice. If she could, she would have been there for you. But her illness caught up with her, and now she is no more," Harry said thickly.

And then Teddy started crying in earnest, tears started falling rapidly. Teddy felt another pair of arms hugging him and Harry.

Teddy stayed like that for a long time, when he finally calmed down he saw that Ginny had joined them.

"Teddy, Ginny and I wanted to ask you something," Harry said, looking Teddy in the eye.

"Yes?" Teddy asked, cleaning his face.

"Ginny and I want to become your mummy and daddy. We won't replace your real parents, but we want to be there for you," Harry said seriously.

"Yes, that is cool," Teddy said, smiling slightly.

"We'll move your stuff tomorrow to your new home then, you better go to sleep now," Ginny said softly.

Teddy nodded and lay back down. He was asleep within minutes.

~O~

"I better inform Kreacher and Maddy that Teddy will be living with us," Harry said, standing up.

It was the morning after Andromeda's funeral. Teddy was still asleep.

"I will bring Teddy over as soon as he wakes up," Ginny said nodding.

And with that Harry moved to the Apparition Point of the old Tonks house. The house would be Teddy's as soon as he became of age.

Harry arrived at the Potter House. It was built where the house had stood where his parents were killed. Harry had the old house levelled and built a new house in its place. Harry and Ginny had already filled it with happy memories.

Harry was greeted by Maddy the House Elf. Maddy was given to them surprisingly by Hermione. Hermione worked in the House Elf Relocation Offices. From there she worked to rework the laws concerning House Elves. She started with laws forbidding the abuse of House Elves, and Maddy was one of the first Elves who were saved from an abusive family. Back then the laws did not allow much freedom in relocating, so Hermione gave the elf to the only one whom she knew would not abuse the elf, and was 'eligible', Harry. Now Hermione had many pieces of legalisation in place that made a lot more families eligible for House Elves, not just the 'old families'. Any legalisation concerning freedom for Elves still failed to pass through the Wizengamot.

"Welcome home, Master Harry," Maddy greeted Harry as soon as he entered the house.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me master, Maddy?" Harry asked, exasperated.

"One more time, as usual," Maddy said grinning.

Harry sighed. He could never convince Maddy or Kreacher to drop the 'master' part. But at least they were able to joke about it.

"Maddy, where is Kreacher?" Harry asked, looking around for the old Elf.

"Kreacher is not feeling well today," Maddy said, her ears drooping.

Kreacher was ill most of the time and was getting old. Harry did not know how long the Elf would live. Harry had to forbid Kreacher from doing any work before he collapsed a couple of times already.

"Tell him to take the time to rest," Harry said.

"Maddy will make sure of that," Maddy said, nodding solemnly.

"Teddy will be living here from now on, Ginny will be bringing him here shortly."

"Maddy will get master Teddy's room ready." And with that Maddy disappeared.

Harry sat down, exhausted, on the couch in the living room. The last week had been emotionally draining. Everyone had thought that Andromeda was making progress and would be fine – that the Dragon Pox had been completely cured. But she had collapsed when she had tried to make dinner for Harry and Teddy while Ginny was at training camp. Andromeda had died one hour later.

Harry wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. Teddy already had lost his parents, now he had lost his grandmother too. And the worst part of it was that Harry could do nothing to prevent it.

And how did you tell a four year old that he would never see his grandmother again? How did you explain such things to someone who was so young? He had struggled with that already trying to explain about Teddy's parents to him, which was already hard enough. But now... Harry hoped that with time that Teddy would come to accept that Harry and Ginny were there for him and would not leave him. Harry could understand where that fear was coming from, as he had lost more father figures then he dared count.

"Mistress Ginny and master Teddy have arrived," Maddy squeaked, interrupting Harry's thoughts.

Harry stood up and saw Ginny walking into the room, and Teddy going up the stairs, following Maddy to his room no doubt.

"Hello, love," Harry said, standing up and kissing Ginny gently.

"Hi," Ginny said, smiling slightly. Harry could see that something was wrong, but knew that Ginny would talk on her own, so sat back down on the couch. Ginny joined him in his lap.

"I have been thinking," Ginny began.

"Should I be worried?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Prat!" Ginny said, swatting his arm. But Harry was glad that there was more of a smile on her face.

"Sorry, go ahead," Harry said.

"Now that we have to take care of Teddy, it would be better if I stop playing Quidditch," Ginny said, her smile disappearing.

"You want that?" Harry asked carefully. He knew how much Ginny loved playing Quidditch. She was at the top of her career. Ginny was the top scorer in the Quiidditch league and a shoo-in for the England team that was to play in the World Cup the following summer.

"No, I want to fly in the World Cup, but now with Teddy, I don't know if I should," Ginny said honestly.

"You should not give up Quidditch to raise Teddy!" Harry said vehemently. Harry was Ginny's number one fan, and he would be very sad if she had to stop playing because of this.

"Harry, you work full time at the Auror Office. You have missions, and I have Quidditch camp every other month! There is no way we can take care of Teddy like that!"

Harry slumped and knew that Ginny had a point.

"I'll stop going on missions. Only a raid now and then and paperwork. I can be there for Teddy," Harry said, looking at Ginny.

"You want that?" Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I wanted to stop going on missions anyway, so we have more time together," Harry said, looking at Ginny intently.

"But what do we do during the day?" Ginny asked, still not convinced.

"We can let Teddy go to a Muggle Primary School during the day,"

"And what about his Metamorphmagus ability?"

"We just have to place a glamour charm, the same one we use when we go to the park,"

"That might work," Ginny said thoughtfully.

"And in case of an emergency, I'm sure that Molly and Arthur would love to look after Teddy," Harry said, glad that Ginny saw it his way now.

"You are sure about this? I -" Ginny began.

"I'm sure Ginny, you should not give up your dreams," Harry said, interrupting Ginny.

"Thanks, Harry," Ginny said, smiling widely. And Ginny kissed Harry thoroughly.

Harry's hands were just moving underneath Ginny's shirt, while Ginny's hands were moving up and down his chest when a voice from the doorway interrupted them.

"Eww, That is gross."

Harry and Ginny reluctantly broke apart and turned around to see Teddy standing there, looking disturbed.

"One day you won't think it is gross," Ginny said, smiling at Teddy.

"Uhuh," Teddy said, walking towards Harry and Ginny and sitting next to them on the couch.

_Teddy will be all right, _Harry thought smiling. Teddy would have a family, something Harry was more than glad to give him.


End file.
